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Thursday, November 21, 2013

NCAA Baseball: Best Recruiting Class of 2013

Photo credit: University of Florida via Wikimedia Commons

The 2014 NCAA baseball season is months away but teams have been preparing for the year to begin since 2013 ended. Much of the work that collegiate baseball staffs have been putting in during the off-season has been recruiting new talent.

Collegiate baseball has long been dominated by three conferences: the SEC, the Pac-12 and the Big 12. Nothing has changed for 2014 as far as top recruiting classes go, although the ACC is starting to gain some ground. An SEC team has nabbed the nation's top recruiting class now 10 of the last 11 years.

Half of the top ten recruits went to SEC schools, three signed with ACC members, two decided to play in the Pac-12 and the last one joined the Mountain West. Getting a top recruiting class is about more than just signing a top 10 player, however.

The University of Florida boasts this year's best recruiting class, despite having its highest-ranked individual player come in at No. 17. Left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the headliner of a deep and versatile class for the Gators.

Eight of Florida's 17 players were drafted by MLB teams last June but chose not to sign. Two of the other three top four classes also came from the state of Florida, with Florida State and the University of Miami coming in at third and fourth.

The top 10 classes for 2014 are:

Florida

Mississippi State

Florida State

Miami

Oklahoma State

Texas

Cal State Fullerton

Stanford

Oregon

LSU

Whether or not having these highly ranked classes will turn into success at The College World Series for each of these schools will remain to be seen, but landing talent like this certainly will help in that endeavor.